2020 Annual Conference for Teachers in Civics, Law, and Government
Challenges in American Democracy; With Liberty and Justice for All?
What challenges do Americans see in our society and our system of government? Many Americans today are wondering whether their experiment in self-government is really working. The 2020 Annual Conference for Teachers in Civics, Law, and Government, themed “Challenges in American Democracy; With Liberty and Justice for All?,” addresses the tensions that define modern American life. It offers resources dealing with current challenges to individual liberties, the legal system, the electoral system, and fundamental democratic institutions. The 2020 conference offers teachers an opportunity to discuss how to explain our country’s current challenges and restore civic capital to students with other teachers and how we can help fulfill the democratic vision.
The Constitutional Democracy Project’s Professional Development Conference for Teachers in Civics, Law, and Government is a one-of-a-kind working conference that brings together teachers, professors, lawyers, judges, civic leaders, cultural institution scholars, civic education specialists, and others to highlight best practices for teaching young people awareness of the law, the legal system, and their rights and responsibilities as engaged citizens.
When: Friday, October 23, 2020, 8:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual
Who: Middle and High School Teachers
Seeking Proposals
The Constitutional Democracy Project (CDP) is accepting proposals for its Conference for Teachers in Civics, Law, and Government on Friday, October 23, 2020.
Presentations should be relevant, informed by research and data, encourage opportunities for learner participation, and/or demonstrate application to the work of the audience. Extra consideration will be given to proposals that address the instruction of government institutions, current and controversial issue discussions, service learning, and simulations of democratic processes as outlined in the IL Civics Course requirement. Sessions are 75 minutes long.
Proposals should:
- Feature presenters who are experts or practitioners
- Deliver best practices using approaches for different types of learners
- Incorporate multimedia
- Contain innovative or new ideas
- Stimulate discussion
- Provide meaningful take-away materials
- Align to one or more of the Illinois Social Science Standards
We are seeking proposals that most closely align to one of these issues:
- Election/Voting Issues
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Law/U.S. History
- Social Movements
- Individual Liberties